Chapter 270 Like a Pampered Cat

Chapter 270 Like a Pampered Cat
Amelia's POV:
I leaned back, looking at him calmly. "Judging by that pathetic display, I'm guessing this is your first attempt at extortion. Pretty amateur move." I shook my head with a mix of disgust and pity. "I'll keep the recording, but won't release it for now." My tone was non-negotiable. "From today, if I hear you threatened any other shop owner, this recording will be immediately exposed. Understood?"
"Completely understood!" he practically begged. "I promise, absolutely no more..."
"Good, then our conversation is over," I stood up, motioning him to leave. "I hope you learn from this, Mr. Wright. Real food criticism should be based on honesty, not money."
Marcus hastily grabbed his bag and stumbled out, head down, not even daring to say goodbye.
Ruby popped out from behind the counter, her eyes wide with excitement. "Boss, that was so badass! The way you handled that jerk!"
I laughed and waved it off. "These small-time troublemakers are both stupid and mean. Not exactly hard to deal with."
The moment I walked through our front door, I kicked off my heels and let out a long, deep breath. My handbag landed with a soft thud on the entryway table. From somewhere in the house came the sounds of cooking and soft conversation.
Following the noise, I found Luke at the stove, sleeves rolled up to his elbows as he stirred something that smelled amazing. Sophia sat perched on a high stool at the kitchen island, her face scrunched in concentration as she worked on what looked like math problems.
"Mommy!" Sophia's head snapped up, her green eyes lighting up when she spotted me.
Luke turned, wooden spoon in hand, and smiled. "There she is. Rough day?"
"You could say that." I walked over and kissed his cheek before grabbing a wine glass from the cabinet. The first sip of red was exactly what I needed.
"Want to talk about it?" Luke asked, turning back to the pot he was stirring.
I leaned against the counter and told them about Marcus Wright and his pathetic attempt at extortion.
Luke nearly choked on his own drink. "Wait, he seriously said 'give me five grand or I'll trash your place online'? Just like that?" His face was a perfect mix of disbelief and contempt.
"His exact words," I confirmed. "So I told him I recorded our entire conversation, and if a single fake review appeared, that recording would be all over social media within the hour."
"And?" Luke prompted, clearly enjoying this.
"You should've seen him," I laughed, remembering the guy's face. "Went white as a sheet. Looked like he was about to wet himself before he practically ran for the door."
Luke's low chuckle filled the kitchen. "So that's the end of Mr. Wright?"
"Definitely the end," I nodded, watching as Luke expertly diced onions without even looking down.
Sophia put her pencil down. "Mommy, was he a bad man trying to hurt your store?"
I moved to her side, keeping it simple. "He tried to get money from me by threatening me. But I didn't let him."
"Thank god we're established enough that I could stand up to him," I added, mostly to Luke. "But I keep thinking about the smaller shops just starting out. For them, someone like Wright could be devastating. That's why I'm hanging onto that recording—just in case he tries this with someone else."
Luke wiped his hands on a dish towel and came over to me, his eyes soft with pride. "My wife, defender of the small business community."
"Mommy's a superhero!" Sophia declared, scrambling off her chair to wrap her arms around my legs. "When I grow up, I'm gonna be just like you!"
I felt my cheeks warming. "It was nothing, really," I insisted, smoothing Sophia's hair.
"Not many people would have handled it like you did," Luke said, his eyes holding mine. "That creep had no idea who he was messing with."
His praise was making me uncomfortable, so I quickly changed subjects. "Oh, before I forget—Olivia texted that several event planning companies want to work with Sweet Amber. All that networking is finally paying off."
"That's fantastic!" Luke's eyebrow arched with interest. "Need any help vetting them? Carter Group has connections with most of the major players. Could save you some headaches with the negotiations."
"Actually, that would be great," I admitted with a smile. "Only an idiot turns down useful resources. I'll fill you in after I meet them next week."
I glanced around the kitchen. "Where's Lucas?"
"Upstairs drawing," Luke replied, returning to the stove. "Said he was inspired and needed to finish before dinner."
"My little artist," I smiled, feeling the day's stress finally melting away.
Three weeks later
I checked my phone—10:30 AM. A wave of guilt washed over me as I stretched lazily in bed. The day was half gone, and here I was, still lounging like some pampered heiress. Three weeks had passed since our doctor told me I needed to gain weight for a healthy pregnancy, and my daily routine had completely transformed.
Instead of rushing between film sets and bakery locations, my mornings now began with nutritionist-approved meals prepared by our private chef. Today's breakfast featured avocado toast on whole grain bread topped with a perfect poached egg and mixed berries.
"How's breakfast, Mrs. Carter?" the chef asked, refilling my fresh orange juice.
"Delicious as always," I replied between bites. "I never thought healthy food could taste this good."
He smiled proudly. "The key is quality ingredients and proper technique. Your afternoon snack will be ready at two—Greek yogurt with homemade granola and honey."
After he left, I grabbed my phone to check Sweet Amber's weekly report. The numbers looked promising, especially for our newest location. Olivia had everything under control, and Emily's seasonal menu was receiving rave reviews.
As I scrolled through sales figures, Luke walked in loosening his tie.
"Working from bed?" He sat beside me, smirking. "How's my favorite business mogul feeling today?"
I rolled my eyes. "Like a pampered cat. Eat, sleep, repeat. It's driving me crazy."
Luke laughed, running his fingers through my hair. "The doctor said reduced stress is essential for conception. Besides, you're not idle—I saw you reading those management books yesterday."
"I guess," I sighed, setting down my phone. "Oh, by the way, Olivia emailed about some big catering partnership for Sweet Amber. Something about the Ivywood Charity Gala." I looked at him with my best pleading eyes. "Could you maybe take a look at it for me? I just don't have the energy to deal with all those contract details right now."
Luke raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by my newfound tendency to delegate. "Is this the same woman who insisted on personally reviewing every supplier contract just last month?"
I made a show of looking exhausted, dramatically dropping back against the pillows. "Doctor's orders. Reduced stress, remember?"